Brace yourself for waves of wanderlust, pangs of jealousy and inevitably some head-in-your-hands moments – will they please just hold onto their passports for once – Race Across the World will soon be back on our screens with series 5. This means all new contestants (non-celeb ones this time around), all new locations and all new challenges. To make sure you’re fully in the know about the much-loved show (hey that rhymes) we’ve rounded up all the facts so have them in one place.
What exactly is Race Across the World about?
If you’re reading this I can tell you’re new to this series. Where have you been? Living under a rock? Travelling around the world yourself? Fair enough. To put it simply as possible, Race Across the World follows five pairs of travellers as they embark on a thrilling race, well, across the world, in an effort to win £20k – and, in a less official sense, be crowned super savvy adventurers. The catch? You can’t take any planes, phones are not allowed and you can only use cash, no credit cards.
When does the new series start?
The long wait is almost over, the new series of Race Across the World will air on Wednesday, April 23 at 9pm on BBC One.
Where is the route this year?
Previous series have seen racers travel from the likes of London to Singapore, Mexico to Argentina, Japan to Indonesia and even through the breathtaking Canadian wilderness; from Vancouver to Newfoundland.
This series will take us back to Asia, this time starting at the Great Wall of China – exactly where along its serpentine 13,170-mile length you ask? The race begins 80km north of Beijing, in a spot which overlooks the village of Huanghuacheng, and the finish line awaits at the southernmost tip of India; Kanniyakumari. The five intrepid duos will set off on a 14,000km journey across the world’s largest continent, taking them through buzzing metropolises and the rugged wilds of China, Nepal and India. Oh, and they’ll do it with the lowest budget in the show’s history – only £1,000.
Who are the series five contestants?
As always, there’s an eclectic mix of adventurers, including a teen couple, supportive friends, a mother and son, a pair of sisters and two brothers looking to reconnect.
The youngest duo are Sioned, 19 and Finn, 18, who are looking to explore the world outside their village in Wales. Then there’s Yin and Gaz, both 54, who have run a Chinese takeaway together and are no strangers to a challenge.
We’ll also meet sisters Elizabeth, 33, and Letitia, 26, who have each had their fair share of travel adventures, but just never together, and brothers Brian, 62, and Melvyn, 65, who are pretty much opposites but what they do have in common, is, well, their desire to find something in common (and probably to win). Last but by no means least, we have housewife Caroline, 60, and her son Tom, 21, who, fairly fresh off 10 months of travelling himself, wants to show his mum “the world through his eyes.”
Is there a trailer?
Yes indeed, here we go: